Dr. Rahal - Anyone Had Bad Experience w/ Him?

i'm thinking about getting an HT from Dr. Rahal. judging from patient's pics, he seems to do excelllent work.

but is there anyone here who had an HT with him and hasnt been completely satisfied with him?

Marko the guy who waited many years to geta transplant . Finally chose Rahal. Got some kind of infection lost alot of grafts. And was silinced and vanished from these forums. Where are you Marko?

I doubt there is a single hair transplant surgeon that doesn't have at least one very unhappy patient. Complications can happen to anyone for any reason. Sometimes it might be the surgeon's fault, sometimes it's just bad luck. All hair transplants come with comman risks, like infection, poor growth, poor scaring, tissue death etc. That's just the way that it is. You want to minimize these risks by choosing a clinic with a good reputation, but you will NEVER eliminate the risks.

I've been on the forum for a long time and Rahal is one of the best, but I have seen a couple of unhappy people pop up here and there out of probably thousands of happy people. Thats just the way that it is. It's partly choosing the right surgeon and partly luck.

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Originally Posted by amadeus

I doubt there is a single hair transplant surgeon that doesn't have at least one very unhappy patient. Complications can happen to anyone for any reason. Sometimes it might be the surgeon's fault, sometimes it's just bad luck. All hair transplants come with comman risks, like infection, poor growth, poor scaring, tissue death etc. That's just the way that it is. You want to minimize these risks by choosing a clinic with a good reputation, but you will NEVER eliminate the risks.

I've been on the forum for a long time and Rahal is one of the best, but I have seen a couple of unhappy people pop up here and there out of probably thousands of happy people. Thats just the way that it is. It's partly choosing the right surgeon and partly luck.

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yeah, i've been researching for not just a good, but a great HT surgeon. so far, rahal keps coming up on top of my list. but i want to make sure there arent any disatisfied customers. its importnant to see good as well as bad reviews. just trying to make the best decision for myself.

i'm not bald. but i'm thinning in front. although it looks like i'm thinning, it doesnt look like i'm in need of a HT. do u think that i'd still make a good candidate for a HT?

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Originally Posted by koolx

yeah, i've been researching for not just a good, but a great HT surgeon. so far, rahal keps coming up on top of my list. but i want to make sure there arent any disatisfied customers. its importnant to see good as well as bad reviews. just trying to make the best decision for myself.

i'm not bald. but i'm thinning in front. although it looks like i'm thinning, it doesnt look like i'm in need of a HT. do u think that i'd still make a good candidate for a HT?

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I had a transplant with Dr. Rahal back in January. I had previously had a procedure with another surgeon who is highly recommended here and on every other board and I was misled and lied to about expectations, it wasn't a good experience and left me in a spot where I needed to shave down but couldn't because of the scar (I don't want to get into who the doctor was, it would just be a waste of my time).

However my experience with doctor Rahal and his clinic was night and day. I can't speak highly enough about him and his staff, they are definitely top notch. I had 3340 grafts placed into my frontal third and I am very pleased with the results. I still need more work to get me to where I will be completely satisfied, but I am a much more educated patient now and I expected as much. The only downside for me is now the areas I didn't have work done to now stick out and bother more and I'm broke so I'm going to have to knock off a bank to pay for round two, lol.

As far as whether you should proceed with a procedure, that is really going to depend on your age, whether you're on meds, family history (do you think you will progress to a high norwood), and also your expectations from a HT. For most people having a hair transplant is going to end up being a life long journey so you really need to not be too near sighted and plan for the long term. If you have any questions about Rahal or transplants in general I'll help any way I can.

Regardless of where the patient went, if the result was unsatisfactory for whatever reasons, they simply do not come and share their case. Most of them are too embarrassed or are fearful of the reprise from other posters.

Usually when I hear from someone needing help from a botched procedure, they are individuals who surf these forums but they do not join or post.

Yes even the best HT surgeons have a case now and then that are substandard or their patient had other issues that affected the results.

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Originally Posted by greatjob!

I

The only downside for me is now the areas I didn't have work done to now stick out and bother more and I'm broke so I'm going to have to knock off a bank to pay for round two, lol.

If you have any questions about Rahal or transplants in general I'll help any way I can.

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hey, greatjob.. 2 questions for u.. why didnt rahal cover up the spots that u needed help with?

how much did u pay for ur HT with him?

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Originally Posted by koolx

hey, greatjob.. 2 questions for u.. why didnt rahal cover up the spots that u needed help with?

how much did u pay for ur HT with him?

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It all comes down to donor availability. I had good laxity, but lower donor density and then I also had the previous scar which takes a big hit out of the available grafts. If I had the ability to get 5000+ grafts we would have taken them and I would have got more coverage. The reality is most people who are higher norwoods need a lot of grafts and unless they have great density and great laxity most people can't extract the huge numbers you see in one session. It doesn't sound though like you will need a terrible amount of grafts that it would be unattainable in one session.

If I remember correct for strip he charges $4/graft for the first 2500 grafts and $3/graft for anything over 2500.

greatjob,

Was your previous strip scar taken out or was there a separate strip taken above or below the previous scar?

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Originally Posted by gillenator

greatjob,

Was your previous strip scar taken out or was there a separate strip taken above or below the previous scar?

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I decided to have him excise as much as possible while still putting the main focus on extracting as many grafts as possible. I'd say we got about half of the old scar out. The portion of my old scar above my ears was taken pretty low so we didn't get all of that out.

We were aiming for 4000 grafts and only got 3340, so if I would have taken all of the first scar I think it would have been considerably lower. For me I was more concerned with the recipient area. I also scar very well, so I wasn't too worried about the scars.

Still, you got very close to your goal and the result should be very nice with 3340 grafts! ;)

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Originally Posted by gillenator

Still, you got very close to your goal and the result should be very nice with 3340 grafts! ;)

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Yeah I'm at about 9 months post op now and I'm thrilled with the results, now the problem is I just need to figure out which bank I need to knock off to fund round two, lol :p

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Originally Posted by greatjob!

Yeah I'm at about 9 months post op now and I'm thrilled with the results, now the problem is I just need to figure out which bank I need to knock off to fund round two, lol :p

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but $4/graft.. damn thats very steep!! cant rahal give a discount at least being that its so damn expensive?

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Originally Posted by koolx

but $4/graft.. damn thats very steep!! cant rahal give a discount at least being that its so damn expensive?

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That's not expensive. If you look at the asking prices from top doctors, that's right in line. I had a transplant with a non-IAHRS doctor, and that's basically what I paid.

You definitely get what you pay for. If you only knew how many guys I have dialogued with over the years who were lured by a cheap price and got whacked. :eek:

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Originally Posted by koolx

but $4/graft.. damn thats very steep!! cant rahal give a discount at least being that its so damn expensive?

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Most every good doctor charges $3-$4/graft for strip. You can get a 15% discount or similar from most doctors if your schedule is flexible enough to take a last minute cancellation spot.

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Originally Posted by gillenator

You definitely get what you pay for. If you only knew how many guys I have dialogued with over the years who were lured by a cheap price and got whacked. :eek:

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excellent point, gillenator.. didnt think about it in that way.

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Originally Posted by greatjob!

Most every good doctor charges $3-$4/graft for strip. You can get a 15% discount or similar from most doctors if your schedule is flexible enough to take a last minute cancellation spot.

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so maybe rahal may offer such a discount, maybe?

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Originally Posted by koolx

so maybe rahal may offer such a discount, maybe?

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He definitely does. Unless it changed it's 15%. The only issue is you have to be ready to fill a spot at short notice, which is an issue for most people because the planning phase and making sure people don't know you had a procedure is important to most.

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Originally Posted by greatjob!

He definitely does. Unless it changed it's 15%. The only issue is you have to be ready to fill a spot at short notice, which is an issue for most people because the planning phase and making sure people don't know you had a procedure is important to most.

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ahhh! i see.. even if it could be short notice, the 15% does come in handy big time!

This is a pretty decent thread.

First off, Dr. Rahal is excellent. I've never met him but I see plenty of patients who have gone to him and speak highly of him.

Second, every doctor has a few unhappy patients. Remember surgery is not math, where 2 + 2 always is 4, but its more like cooking, where different ingredients, cooked in a different kitchen, albeit by the same cook USUALLY turn out consistently but not always. Reputable doctors make every effort to get a great result, but it simply doesn't always happen.

Third, Gillenator is right, be wary of prices that seem too good to be true.


Fourth, yes often clinics have an open day or one that opens unexpectedly...we do, and yes to fill a date quickly many, including us, will give a discount. Its really never the money that gets the patient to commit in those cases, its really paying the patient to accept the inconvenience of an unplanned absence from work...where as if one schedules they have lots of time to prepare. Depsite a last minute discount...we often have trouble filling a sudden opening, people work and have family lives and just can't switch into a date with short notice. Hence the deposit is to pay the staff for that day even though they aren't working...but they have bills that continue to acrue too.

Good thread with lots of topics.

Dr. Lindsey McLean VA

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Originally Posted by greatjob!

. The only downside for me is now the areas I didn't have work done to now stick out and bother more and I'm broke so I'm going to have to knock off a bank to pay for round two, lol.
.

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lol.........would you not say that is an issue with hair transplants in general.

As we continue to lose hair we need go back and to fill in spots or suck it up and live with it.

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Originally Posted by DAVE52

lol.........would you not say that is an issue with hair transplants in general.

As we continue to lose hair we need go back and to fill in spots or suck it up and live with it.

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Yes but that's not what I was referring to. I didn't lose hair, I just couldn't get enough grafts in the last procedure to hit those areas.

I've just completed a 4300 graft FUT(performed two weeks ago), full marks to Dr.Rahal and his staff.
I admit that I was taken by surprise at how much swelling had ocurred within 30 hours and found myself being dragged into emergency for a second opinion by my brother, I was advised this was normal, I went home releived with a good shot of 2mg Dilaudid injection in me(babies don't sleep this good)!
Considering it's only been two weeks, not much else to say at this point, so far so good, lack of quality sleep for a couple weeks is to be expected with this kind of procedure and is more than well worth it in my opinion.
Hussein and his entire staff are nothing short of fantastic and very personable, I've looked forward to every required visit due to such excellent treatment every time.
I can't emphasize enough my highest recommendations for Dr. Rahal's services to anyone that's considering this.

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Originally Posted by Super2kc

I've just completed a 4300 graft FUT(performed two weeks ago), full marks to Dr.Rahal and his staff.
I admit that I was taken by surprise at how much swelling had ocurred within 30 hours and found myself being dragged into emergency for a second opinion by my brother, I was advised this was normal, I went home releived with a good shot of 2mg Dilaudid injection in me(babies don't sleep this good)!
Considering it's only been two weeks, not much else to say at this point, so far so good, lack of quality sleep for a couple weeks is to be expected with this kind of procedure and is more than well worth it in my opinion.
Hussein and his entire staff are nothing short of fantastic and very personable, I've looked forward to every required visit due to such excellent treatment every time.
I can't emphasize enough my highest recommendations for Dr. Rahal's services to anyone that's considering this.

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I have consulted with a number of doctor's over the years and I will say that Rahal has stood out to me in providing the best line of communication, services and reassurance. I have made my mind up to go with his clinic next time I need it.

Super2Kc is your strip scar still detectable after 2 weeks or is your hair nicely covering it?

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Originally Posted by thejack

I have consulted with a number of doctor's over the years and I will say that Rahal has stood out to me in providing the best line of communication, services and reassurance. I have made my mind up to go with his clinic next time I need it.

Super2Kc is your strip scar still detectable after 2 weeks or is your hair nicely covering it?

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It was a beauty shark smile at first but very quickly faded, I was back at my office 7 days after the procedure and colleagues couldn't easily see the scar, and yes my hair is quickly growing to cover it completely but my hair grows like wild well fed weeds though

Dr. Rahal is one of the best in the business HANDS DOWN. He is not only a great surgeon, but he is an exceptional artist which is crucial for a natural hairline design.

I want to know what happened to Marco who he did work on?
I also want to know where there this guy Matt J who worked for them is? He was on the forums and then disappeared after showing his pre op pics. Since there were no post of pics this also raises a red flag

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Originally Posted by Rashid Rashid, MD, PhD

I do not think it is fair to judge a doctor based on a few unhappy patients. Nothing in medicine is 100% and if you find someone getting 100% marks all the time then something interesting is going on. In fact, chances are that if you find someone with no unhappy patients then you found someone that does very little cases a year.

Of course its good to monitor success rate. For example, failure rates or unhappy rates in transplants can be 1-10% which for most clinics(not tech mills or hair mills) is about 4 patients a year on a good year. So if the clinic is monitoring numbers, and one year has a rate of 100 then that should raise flags. It really is best to go by referrals of people you know, use pre-screened societies, and meeting the doctor if you can.

Whats also much more important is interaction and follow up. If you have concerns you want to be able to go in for regular follow ups. If things dont work out, you want to be able to discuss and execute other options. So that is a big role for customer service and bedside manner.

I trained in a hospital with world renowned physicians in all specialties and they all had difficult or unsuccessful cases. And this was true in both complicated and even seemingly simple cases. You just never know with medicine. You have to try your best and be available to the patients if things do not go well.

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Very important point Dr and prospective patients need to understand this.

All top surgeons will have some unhappy patients. The proportion of unhappy patients will be smaller of course with a better surgeon. If in the event the result is not as expected, another measure of a good surgeon is how he/she deals with this when it happens.

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Originally Posted by morelocks

I want to know what happened to Marco who he did work on?
I also want to know where there this guy Matt J who worked for them is? He was on the forums and then disappeared after showing his pre op pics. Since there were no post of pics this also raises a red flag

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No MattJ posted his pics on another forum at one point, I remember thinking the same thing until I saw them. They looked very good. I would guess that he has just moved on with his life now that he doesn't worry about his hair loss anymore. That seems to happen frequently. No matter how much someone may visit the forum and post, when they no longer have to worry about it themselves, they usually get on with their lives.

Have you got a link to Matts pictures? I would like to see them also, he was a rep for the clinic so rather different than a client who is satisfied and just moves on. I am a member of 5 forums and have not seen them, many posters on all forums have asked for updates but remain dissapointed as none have been presented
Regards
ej

5 weeks in now, the scar can no longer be seen, however it was difficult to see after 2 weeks, my hair is dark and grows like a weed... where it grows.

I was happy with Dr Rahal's hairline he made me... I just wish he would have advised me to START finasteride or do a more receding hairline, as I'm now getting ready to commit to a 2nd surgery with no miracle in mind.

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Originally Posted by ejj

Have you got a link to Matts pictures? I would like to see them also, he was a rep for the clinic so rather different than a client who is satisfied and just moves on. I am a member of 5 forums and have not seen them, many posters on all forums have asked for updates but remain dissapointed as none have been presented
Regards
ej

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Just search "mattj rahal" on Google and they're right there:

1. http://www.rahalhairtransplant.com/mattj/
2. http://www.**********************.co...-dr-rahal.html

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showbizdude:

I was happy with Dr Rahal's hairline he made me... I just wish he would have advised me to START finasteride or do a more receding hairline, as I'm now getting ready to commit to a 2nd surgery with no miracle in mind.

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How long ago was your surgery? He didn't mention using a treatment at all?

As stated at the beginning of this thread, Marco was a patient of Dr. Rahal. And quite honestly, I have never seen anyone on any forum do more research on a surgery prior to actually getting one.

i think HARIRI had a bad result with Rahal

there was also someone who had 5000ish grafts and had a horrible result...5 years later

the latter case is confusing. the commenter didn't elaborate and a rahal rep said they were trying to get in touch with the patient to no avail

im considering rahal but am worried he's not as good or reliable as people say

i dont like the notion that these HT docs make it so we have to keep coming back

i think HARIRI had a bad result with Rahal

there was also someone who had 5000ish grafts and had a horrible result...5 years later

the latter case is confusing. the commenter didn't elaborate and a rahal rep said they were trying to get in touch with the patient to no avail

im considering rahal but am worried he's not as good or reliable as people say

i dont like the notion that these HT docs make it so we have to keep coming back

I think Dr Rahal is a good guy and up there with the best. But as others have said you have a limited donar supply and its very hard to predict your future loss. Do your research, there are hair transplant blogs with patients own results out there. A lot of results posted by doctors are there trophy results so best to try and get in contact with patients who are not involved with the clinics.

As much as I hate having a linear scar from strip surgery, I have noticed with the influx of FUE there are many inconsistant results with poor growth out there and these are from the top doctors. They say FUE transaction rates have improved and are supposedely as good as strip. But I am finding that hard to believe based on these hairtransplant blog.s posted by patients

I am currently researching fue into scar. As I dont want to bo through another strip. Unfortunately hairtransplant is not like a nose job or boob job where there is only a 2 week or so recovery time. It takes along time to heal, you need to keep out of the sun, etc etc for a god 4 months from my experience.

I got SMP from ********* and I feel more attractive

I just got 3134 grafts from rahal and Im 11 days post op. I can't say anything about the final result obviously but so far I can tell you his clinic is every bit as good as its reputation. I was terrified and on the fence but everyone there was knowledgeable and friendly. he talked me down to 3000 from 4000 but the placement and density looks great and natural. I know it sounds like I work there or something but I just feel good about my decision SO FAR. Don't take my word for it quite yet because I don't know the final result but I never once felt a shady vibe throughout this whole experience.

I'm hoping to have Rahal do my future HT but I'm just worried about the FUE results being inconsistent.